Wolves suffer worst home defeat this century

02 September 2012 04:48

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Ten-man Wolfsburg suffered their worst Bundesliga home defeat this century after they were routed 4-0 by Hanover 96 on Sunday.

Felix Magath-coached Wolves were put to the sword by a rampant Hanover team as the 2009 German champions suffered their worst defeat in Wolfsburg since they were hammered 7-2 at home to Werder Bremen in September 1999.

There was a glimpse of the onslaught to come after only 10 minutes at the Volkswagen Arena as Hanover's Tunisia defender Karim Haggui was left free at a corner to header home.

Poland striker Artur Sobiech then scored the first of his two goals on 26 minutes after a sweeping Hanover attack.

The Wolfsburg defence capitulated in a devastating four-minute spell as Hanover's pace floored the hosts as first Denmark midfielder Leon Andreasen then Sobiech popped up with headers to make it 4-0 on 56 minutes.

To rub salt in Wolfsburg's wounds, 20-year-old defender Robin Knoche was sent off for his second yellow card on 65 minutes for a foul on Konstantin Rausch.

With Bayern Munich hosting VfB Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena on Sunday evening, the victory leaves Hanover second in the Bundesliga table behind leaders Eintracht Frankfurt.

Having opened the season last Saturday with a 2-1 win at home to Bayer Leverkusen, Frankfurt followed that up with a 4-0 hammering of nine-man Hoffenheim.

"I would be disappointed if we aren't German champions now," Frankfurt coach Armin Veh -- who led Stuttgart to the title in 2007 -- quipped with his side top of the league after two matches.

Midfielder Alexander Meier scored Frankfurt's opening goal at the Rhein-Neckar Arena before Pirmin Schwegler added a second just before the interval.

Hoffenheim had midfielder Sejad Salihovic sent off on 70 minutes for two quick bookings, and Philippines defender Stephan Schroeck followed after he was shown his second yellow card three minutes later.

The hosts' misery was compounded when Meier netted his second with a late penalty before Martin Lanig headed the fourth at the death.

Schalke 04 are third after their 3-1 win at home to Augsburg as Dutch winger Ibrahim Afellay, who the Royal Blues have signed on a season-long loan from Barcelona, made his debut in the dying stages.

Champions Borussia Dortmund are third after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at Nuremberg as Czech Republic striker Tomas Pekhart's header was cancelled out when Dortmund midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski fired home in the first half.

Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, who has rejoined Hamburg from Tottenham Hotspur, could only watch as his new teammates lost 2-0 at Werder Bremen in the north German derby.